5 Things to Consider When Taking Commercial Landscaping Bids

The season where property managers and owners evaluate their landscaping needs for the following year has come around. Assessing your current landscape provider, while considering all options can be a stressful scenario. This is especially true if you decide to open up your property to bidding, with bids flying in from every landscaping company in the area. When moving through this process, it can be hard to sort through all the qualities of each company, along with the pricing of the proposals. As a commercial landscaping company that has been around for 70 years, we know a thing or two about the bidding process. From our own bids to discussions with clients about their experience, we have gathered a few key points of advice when working through this. If you are taking bids for the landscaping on your commercial property, here are five things to consider when taking commercial landscaping bids.

Experience of the Team

While we may be a bit biased with our wealth of history, this is a real factor in deciding what company to work with. Given two similar companies with identical bids, you would be wise to choose the team that has been there before. This is about more than how long the company has been around, coming down to a variety of factors. Make sure you ask questions about their hiring process, the profile of a typical employee, and what other properties they have serviced. You need a company that has managed many commercial properties before, with a wealth of knowledge to work with. A larger, more experienced company is also more likely to possess proper insurance and certifications, giving you peace of mind.

Reviews and References

This is right in line with the quality of experience, taking it a step further. You want to ensure that you get feedback from other or past clients, check out google reviews and ensure they leave their other customers satisfied. As with any decision that involves significant capital, do your due diligence. If there are reviews you are not satisfied with, talk to the company and hear how they alleviated those concerns. This is a good indicator of how you will be taken care of. If they have been around for a while with positive reviews, they are a much safer bet than a brand new shop.

Are they Full Service?

One thing to ensure is that the landscape company bidding on your property provides all of the necessary services. If your landscaping company is using a significant amount of subcontractors, or simply cannot provide services your property needs, this is a red flag. You want to work with a landscape company that provides it all, rather than juggle different vendors for different services. This is also beneficial in the development of a healthy long-term relationship with your landscaper.

Probably Too Good to be True

There are a few more red flags that you should consider when taking commercial landscaping bids. If the price is absurdly low, or well below your budget, there is likely a reason why. There may be a variety of reasons for this, but it is likely that this provider will be skimping on labor, materials, or other resources. Do not make the mistake of sacrificing quality for cost, as this will be a long-term issue if your landscape is not properly maintained.

In Commercial Landscaping Bids Communication is Key

We hear about many problems faced by our clients when working with their past landscapers, and communication is common. You need to ensure that your provider will utilize a consistent point of contact, with an account manager assigned to your property. Ask about their communication methods, and how you will communicate issues and concerns. If your property is left out to dry, or your commercial landscaper is unreliable, your job as a property manager will become that much more stressful.

Pezza Landscape, Inc. is a full-service landscaping company proudly serving the greater Naperville area, including Warrenville, Wheaton, Winfield, Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles, and the surrounding communities. Give us a call at (630) 393-7373 or visit our website to get in touch.